Standing out in the back-to-school rush: SMS marketing tips and templates for retailers

It’s that time of year again, when parents and students turn their attention to the new academic year and what they need to stock up on.

The back-to-school season can mean big bucks for retailers and online merchants, with parents and students alike shopping for a wide range of items in a short space of time. But, with so much to buy shoppers are looking for good value, and with so much choice out there, you need to make sure you get ahead. 

Want to be top of the class when it comes to back-to-school SMS marketing campaigns? Implement our ready-to-use SMS templates and top template tips. Make your back-to-school marketing campaigns straightforward and effective as possible.

SMS for back to school: get ahead

To get the very best results, make sure to plan an SMS campaign in advance, taking advantage of the immediacy and effectiveness of this messaging channel. Benefit from the outstanding opening rate of over 98% for SMS messages, making it an extremely effective and flexible channel for both promotional and transactional communications. Take advantage of its potential to reach a wide audience with ease.

SMS templates for back-to-school

Using SMS templates will save you time and effort, as well as making your communication more consistent.

Set your SMS messages up for success with these top tips:

• Keep it short and sweet – Templates that get straight to the point and are no longer than 160 characters, work best. 
• Personalise your message – with the name and location of the recipient by using merge fields. 
• Have a clear CTA – Be explicit about what you want your reader to do next. Whether it’s to visit your website, register their interest or something else entirely, make it crystal clear in your call-to-action and provide them with whatever they need to do it – link, phone number, email address etc. 
• Test – Test your message on a small group of recipients to make sure it works before you send it to your entire list. If any errors are flagged at this point, correct them and test again. 
• Save effective templates – Saving templates that work well will save you time in the future, as well as giving your messaging consistency.

SMS template examples

Hey! Book [NAME]’s appointment for our back-to-school foot measuring service now. Time slots are following up fast, don’t miss out! [COMPANY NAME]

Hi [NAME]. 20% off until Sept 1st on all back-to-school stationery whilst stocks last. Don’t miss the chance to get school-ready for less! [COMPANY NAME] 

We can help you create ready-to-use SMS templates

Esendex has helped countless businesses set up effective SMS templates to improve their customer conversations and boost business. Start your free trial or talk to an expert today.